Comments on: Critics of Obama way off base on this one

By: Martin

Martin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 01:02:48 +0000

Thanks, Bob. If more conservatives and liberals would attach reason to arguments and less time dissing the other side, we might be able to resolve the big problems facing our country. It is unforgiveable that Republicans are more focused on defeating Obama as a strategy for winning power in 2010 than honestly working on policy.

Also, thank you for your courage and integrity for standing up to boos at CPAC and telling them that waterboarding is torture. America doesn’t torture. If we lose our values, we lose.

By: From Tea to Shining Tea: An Interview with Stephen Gordon | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Tue, 12 Jan 2010 09:56:26 +0000

[...] Barr wrote a piece at the AJC which I saw on Drudge, Politico, MSNBC and other locations. In it, he accused establishment Republicans of “irresponsible behavior” and he’s taking a lot of partisan criticism in the comments section for it. Weigel went through the same when he covered racism within the Ron Paul ranks. There are some people, on the left and the right, who consistently do what they perceive as being the principled thing to do – no matter the immediate political consequences. [...]

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:46:28 +0000

Bob, thanks for reminding me why I don’t read your column. Almost 300 people died and you don’t care. Obama kept playing golf, but you try to put a different spin on it.

By: Neal can't take the heat

Neal can't take the heat — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:41:06 +0000

Mark, Neal is notorious for not being able to take the heat when he can’t control the microphone. That’s probably why he won’t allow comments.

He’s still smarting from when Cynthia Tucker cleaned his clock in a public debate awhile back.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:44:16 +0000

Today we have been served in AJC with another of opinions of Mr. Neal Boortz. Since AJC does not allow the readers to comment (why not AJC?), this is one of the few places one can do it.
Mr. Boortz took his aim at a study of two Harvard University professors, who estimated that the lack of insurance results in 45,000 deaths in the US. The way Mr. Boortz describes the results is typical of his way of distorting the truth, in effect lying: He writes about the 9000 Americans followed in a CDC study: “Naturally, not all of these Americans made it that far. Some died. So, some people who did not have insurance at some point between 1988 and 1994 took the eternal celestial dirt nap before the end of 2000. Happens to the best of us.”
The clear implication is that the number 45,000 deaths is simply an extrapolation of the deaths in the study group to the general population. The tiny detail Mr. Boortz forgot to mention is that the extrapolated number of deaths is the EXCESS mortality for people who did not have health insurance.
Interestingly, but not surprisingly, Mr. Boortz has not given us any statistic to his claim that “ObamaCare plan would do more damage to this country than a terrorist attack.”

By: Cindy can call me Bwana

Cindy can call me Bwana — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 15:32:24 +0000

Human Sacrifice in Africa: Asking the Gods for Wealth via African Telecoms–

One man said he had clients who had captured children and taken their blood and body parts to his shrine, while another confessed to killing at least 70 people including his own son.
The latter has now given up the ritual and is campaigning to stamp it out, according to BBC News.
The African country’s government claimed human sacrifice was on the increase.
According to officials trying to tackle it, the crime is directly linked to rising levels of development and prosperity – and an increasing belief that witchcraft can help people get rich quickly.
During its investigation, to be broadcast on Thursday on Radio 4 and Newsnight, the BBC team witnessed anti-sacrifice campaigners torching the shrine of a witch-doctor in northern Uganda, who agreed to give up the practice.
He said clients came to him in search of wealth.
“They go and capture other people’s children. They bring the heart and the blood directly here to take to the spirits,” he said.
“They bring them in small tins and they place these objects under the tree from which the voices of the spirits are coming.”
The witch doctor, who said he was paid 500,000 Ugandan shillings (around £160) for a consultation, denied any direct involvement in murder or incitement to murder, saying his spirits spoke directly to clients.
Moses Binoga, the assistant police commissioner who is head of the Ugandan anti-human sacrifice and trafficking task force, said there were 26 murders thought to be part of ritual sacrifice last year compared with three cases in 2007.
“We also have about 120 children and adults reported missing whose fate we have not traced,” he added. “From the experience of those whom we recovered, we cannot rule out that they may be victims of human sacrifice.”
Crossing Continents – Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 11am on Thursday.
Newsnight – Uganda: Battling the Witch-Doctors will be screened on BBC2 at 10.30pm

By: Average Joe

Average Joe — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:44:25 +0000

Chris

Thanks for clarifying that Drudge had linked to BB’s editorial. When I first read the responses my mouth hit the floor because I couldn’t believe the tone and hatefulness from so many of the responses. I was happy to return later and see that the discussion had become more civil and constructive. I believe most mainstream Americans can agree with Bob’s point. We truly need to start working together or this nation is going to continue its downward spiral.

I have to agree with Thera somewhat though. Does anyone remember the Oklahoma City bombing? What about the Atlanta Centennial Park bombing? These were the result of far right, radical AMERICANS. I’m not saying the tea baggers are going to organize something so devastating but, American terrorists do exist.

By: Mark

Mark — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 14:29:03 +0000

I do not think the teabaggers are a very monolithic group. There are some who are venting their anger and frustration over Obama’s election victory. There are many who express their anger against the government in general, Whipped up by irresponsible talk show hosts, like Neal Boortz, they speak against the government as if it were an occupying force. At the same time, they claim admiration for the Constitution, no seeing the contradiction: The government is what we are creating according to the Constitution.
I am not sure if the main danger is of a radical fringe getting the idea to blow up something, if we mean by that an organized group. It seems more likely that it would be some unstable individuals, encouraged by the emotions of the whole group, who would resort to violent action.

By: Thera

Thera — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:52:26 +0000

Perhaps I should have separated the two ideas. (1. I wonder how representative most of these comments are to the feelings of mainstream America.) (2. I’m beginning to think that the teabaggers are a terrorist group in its infancy. How long before the radical fringe of this group thinks it’s a good idea to blow something up just for the attention it will bring their “cause”?)

Your Casablanca paraphrase was just confusing. I’m still not sure what point you’re trying to convey.

By: david wayne osedach

david wayne osedach — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 13:45:18 +0000

There are millions of flights daily. A few anonamlies like the Nigerian terrorist with his underwear bomb are bound to get through. Our record thus far is commendable.